DENVER — The snap. The hold. The kick. Both game officials stationed under the goal post at Invesco Field at Mile High on Sunday raised their arms to signal Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski’s 52-yard field goal attempt had made it between the uprights.

Game over. Players rushed onto the field, arms raised, poised to celebrate a rare victory over the Denver Broncos. Heck, just to celebrate a victory of any kind, be it on the road, against a divisional foe or any other kind.

Then came the announcement from referee Walt Anderson: “Before the snap, Denver called timeout.”

What? Just like that, the Raiders had a victory taken away from them. Janikowski missed the ensuing field-goal attempt, and the Broncos’ Jason Elam kicked a 23-yard, game-winning field goal nine plays later for a 23-20 victory.

“No, nobody was aware they called time out,” Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said afterward. “They rushed just like … If you watched the play, their (defenders) rushed just like there wasn’t atimeout. Maybe somebody has got to tell me the rule. I should tell the ref, ‘Blow it right before he kicks it, regardless of a play time.'”

Replays showed that side judge Byron Boston, indeed, signaled a Broncos timeout before the ball was snapped. Numerous Raiders said they knew the play didn’t count.

“I heard the whistle,” left offensive tackle Barry Sims said. “Most of the guys heard it, but it doesn’t make it any less good. That’s a tough one.”

Janikowski said he wasn’t fazed by Shanahan calling time just before the snap.

“I hit it good,” Janikowski said of his second attempt. “It was straight at it, and I thought I had it. But it just hit the goal post.”

Janikowski’s rekick drilled the left upright and bounced wide left of its intended mark. He threw his head back, looked to the skies and grabbed his helmet with both hands.

For his part, Shanahan said he intended to call time all along.

“I just told (the officials), I was going to call a timeout beforehand,” Shanahan said. “I told them that, as they were lining up, I was going to call it. I had plenty of time. There were probably about 2 seconds before (the snap).”

Through it all, Kiffin and his players found plenty of silver-and-black linings in a game in which they rallied from a 17-3 deficit, secured a 20-17 lead, and came within a timeout call of a victory.

What’s it going to take, though? The Raiders lost their second straight game this season, despite leading midway through the fourth quarter both times.

To a man, the Raiders say they can sense good times coming. Yet, there’s the little matter of breaking through.

“I came off the field saying, ‘Every year, it’s something,'” Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. “It’s not just here, but against Denver, period. And Kansas City. That’s the most frustrating part. We just need to break the cycle.”

Getting off to a fast start, for a change, might help. The Raiders fell behind by at least two touchdowns for the second straight game and relied upon an improbable comeback.

Two of quarterback Josh McCown’s first six passes ended up in the hands of Broncos defenders, and three overall. He netted only 27 yards passing besides a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerry Porter in the third quarter.

“I can’t speak for the rest of the offense, but when you walk away with three turnovers, that’s what it came down to,” McCown said. “That’s the stuff that I have to correct and get fixed.”

Raiders running back LaMont Jordan did his best to carry the load. He rushed for a career-high 159 yards and helped the Raiders move the ball on a consistent basis against a stingy Broncos defense.

“We need to do a better job offensively to play four quarters. We can’t wait until the second half to make plays. … We’ve got the second half locked down, almost perfect. We need to come out fighting in the first half.”

Again, the Raiders came close to winning a game, in spite of their offensive inconsistency. Once they do, the Raiders are going to be tough to beat, middle linebacker Kirk Morrison said.

(Click here if you are unable to view this photo gallery on your mobile device) The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek celebrates the life of its founder Ruth Bancroft who died at 109 on November 26, 2017. The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a nonprofit public dry garden that was planted by Mrs. Ruth Bancroft in 1972 and was opened to the...